A coalition of organizations, including several Asian and Pacific American groups as well as the Montgomery County Civil Rights Coalition, will attend the Rockville City Council hearing on Monday, June 19 in support of the “Fostering Community Trust” ordinance introduced by Councilmember Julie Palakovich Carr earlier this year. This ordinance would restrict all City of Rockville employees—including police officers—from requesting citizenship or immigration status of any person unless required by law, and would additionally prevent detention of individuals based on immigration detainers in most cases.

In a statement released this weekend, our coalition makes the case that ordinances such as these are vital to the safety of our communities, noting “It is impossible to build a strong community in an environment of fear and distrust. Police departments across the country have indicated that increased fear due to increased immigration enforcement actions and anti-immigrant rhetoric have led to decreases in crime reporting, including sexual assault, in immigrant communities. This ordinance is an important first step in keeping all members of our community, including undocumented immigrants, safe.”

The statement can be read in full below. Please join us tomorrow, Monday, June 19, at the Rockville Mayor and Council meeting as the proposed ordinance is taken up for consideration by the mayor and city council. More information can be found on the Facebook event page. Be sure to RSVP if you’ll be joining us!